An illegal immigrant from Colombia living in Boston was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on multiple identity theft charges, including allegations of fraudulently receiving rental assistance, Social Security, and SNAP benefits, as well as committing voter fraud using a stolen identity, according to the Justice Department.
Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, is accused of using that stolen identity to obtain eight different state-issued IDs and a Massachusetts Real ID.
DOJ said that Orovio-Hernandez fraudulently received about $400,000 in federal benefits, including $259,589 for “Section 8 rental assistance benefits from October 2011 through January 2025; $101,257 in Social Security disability benefits from July 2014 through January 2025; and $43,348 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from April 2005 through January 2025.” She also allegedly registered to vote and cast a “fraudulent ballot” in the 2024 election.
According to DOJ, she was charged with “one count of false representation of a Social Security number; one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport; one count of aggravated identity theft; three counts of receiving stolen government money or property; one count of fraudulent voter registration; and one count of fraudulent voting.”
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that President Donald Trump may proceed with revoking the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) granted to hundreds of thousands of border crossers, protections that were unilaterally extended by former President Joe Biden.
The decision came in response to an emergency application filed by the Trump administration, effectively allowing the White House to reverse Biden’s executive action. The TPS protections—granted by the Biden administration without congressional approval—had provided recipients with expedited pathways to citizenship and work authorization.
The programs saw rapid expansion under the Biden administration, which played an active role in transporting and resettling millions of foreign nationals within the United States.
Many of those affected by the termination were flown directly into the country through a program known as CHNV, which was discontinued shortly after President Trump took office on January 20. According to Biden administration officials, the initiative aimed to reduce illegal crossings at the southern border by offering prospective asylum seekers a legal pathway to enter the U.S. directly.
